Verbal memory functioning was assessed in light and heavy social drink
ers by recording event-related potentials in subjects instructed to me
morize lists of words using either repetition or elaborative learning
strategies. Although overall performance did not differ significantly
between light and heavy drinkers, heavy drinkers showed reduced within
-list organization compared with light drinkers. There were statistica
lly significant differences in the event-related potential indices of
memory functioning elicited during complex elaborative processing whic
h were consistent with decreased within-list organization in heavy dri
nkers.